Process of making playing-balls.



No. 849,572. PATENTED'APR. 9, 1907. R

. P. H. RICHARDS.

PROCESS OF MAKING PLAYING BALLS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. 1902.

I FRANCIS II. RICHARDS, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

PROCESS OF MAKING PLAYING-BALLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 9, 1907.

Application filed June 2,1902. Scrialll0.1(3,906-

Be it known that .l. Fmwcrs ll. lliouuins, a citizen of the tinted States, residing at Ilartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Coimecticut, have invented certain The several layers may, however, be applied new and useful Improvements in Processes of Bathing Playingdialls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture 5 layers be loosely arranged.

of playing-halls-such. for instance, as are employed in the game of golf; and it conhaving a. pair ofhemispherical depressions b,

sists substantially in the improvmuents hereinafter particularly described.

The principal object of the invention is to f the spherical chamber with a cylini'lrical bore provide a ball possc ing durability and one also capable of withstanding all the rough usages to \Ylli :h the same may be subjected in golf and similar games.

The invention also ha: other objects in view, as will hereinafter fully appear when taken in connection with the zHfCUHlptUfVlltg drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a part sectional view. representing, an uncxpandcd soft-rubber shell preferably cn'tployed as the center piece or filler for my improved playing-ball. Fig. 2 is a sectional view representing the center piece or -filler of Fig. 1, having applied thereto a layer of combined fabric and celluloid. Fig. 3 is a similar sectional view to Fig. 2, repre senting the employment of an additional layer of combined fabric and celluloid aplied to the stru ture. Fig. 4 is also a simiar view representing the addition of still another layer of combined fabric and celluloid. Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views illustrating means employed in inberm-ialiate stages of the process of manufacture. ig. 7' is an enlarged sectional view illustrating a fragment of the ball: and Fig. 8 is apart sectional view of a completed ball, partly broken away.

In proceeding to manufacture a ball in accordance with my present improved process I employ a spherical center piece or tiller 1, preferably of soft. rubber, in which I term a perforation 2, having in one side thereof a vent 2, the numeral 3 designating the outer surface of said center piece or filler and toe numeral 4 the inner surface or cavity thereof.

Upon the said outer surface of the said center piece or filler I apply a layer or shell 5 of suit able composite material, preferably of celluloid and fabric compounded together, and

upon said layer or'shell I apply a secondlaycr or shell of the same composite material, as indicated at 5. Preferably I also use a.

l i l l third layer or shell 5, as indicated at Fig. 4. "Zach layer of celluloid may be applied in a plastic condition and allowed to harden to an extent to permit sa to handling, and the fabric. layers may be applied separately, if desired.

in other ways coming within the scope of my invention, and it is desirable that all of the The structure thus assembled I inc-lose in a mold (1, consisting of two parts a" and (1.,

which together form a spherical cavity or chamber I). The mold is also provided above c, formed by opposite recesses 0, one of the latter being, in each half of the mold, and in said bore a piston r: is fitted, as indicated in Figs. 5 and (i. In a hole (1, which is formed by opposite recesses d in the two parts of the mold, is inserted a funnel having a flange f. The part a" of the mold is provided with a transverse perforation g, the wall of which at the outer extremity is screw-thremled at h to receive a threaded plug 3'. The two halves of the mold may be provided with dowels k, as indicated also in dotted lines in Figs. 5 and 6. The hall is placed in the mold thus organized so that the lower partbf the funnel f enters the ball through the perforation 2 thereof and is thus brought into communication with the interior cavity 4 of the center piece or tiller 4. In the bore 0, formed by the two parts of the mold, is placed a suit.- able quantity of gutta-percha or similar me.-

terial 6, which is rendered fluent by heat, and

this fluent material is forced into the interior of the ball, as indicated at Fig. 5, the air within the spherical cavity or chamber of the ball being displaced and forced out through the vents 2 and g by distention of' the ball structure, whereupon the plug may be inserted, as indicated at F ig. 6, and

the piston forced down farther, so as to cause the gutta-percha to expand the rubber center piece or filler and its several enveloping layers to the full limits of the mold-chamber. A vent 7 may be provided for the escape of air from the chamber. The rubber center I05 piece or lillcr of the ball is thus materially increased in diamet r and placed in a state of tension, while the iabric and celluloid shells thereof, being rendered plastic by heat applied to the moldthrcauscd to men? to no [he sliape oi the mold-chan1ber saidclia'fi'fbcr being preferably 1. rovided in its wall-surrenews...

corresponding to the form of the mold and faces with pits, such as are indicated in the drawings, so as to result in the formation of brambles on the outer surface of the shell or i casing of the ball. Pressure is maintained upon the piston c until the entire ball cools and hat-dens, and after removal of the ball from the mold the perforation 2 2 may be filled up by a suitable plug, such as is indii catcd by the numeral 8 in Fig. b. Q l

It is apparent that I, am not limited to the precise details of the several steps of my improved process for maiutfacturi g playingballs as herein set forth, since variations thereof may be resorted to within the scopeof my invention.

Hr ng described my invention, I claim 1. A process of making a playing-ball consisting of placing a hollow body in a mold, distending such body by the injection of a f mass and Slll11lltt111(.()l.l.\'l imparting thereto an external conligmration corresponding to 2. A process of making a playing-ball coni sisting of placing a hollow body in a mold, distending the same by an injection of a mass thereinto while hot and simultaneously imparting thereto an external configuration hardening the structure by cooling.

3. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in forcing into a hollow elastic-body a substance rendered tluent by heat, and simultaneously imparting to the structure the desired form externally.

4. A process of making a. playing-ball consisting in forcing into a hollow elastic body I while hot a substance rendered fluent by heat, and simultaneously imparting the desired form to the structure externally.

5. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in forcing into a hollow elastic body while hot a substance rendered fluent by heat, and Sll111lltu11cu11Sl '-i imparting the desired form to the structure externally, and then hardening the structure by cooling.

6. A. process of making aplaying-ball consisting in forcing into a hollow elastic body while hot a substance rendered fluent by heat, and sinu'l taneously imparting to the structure an externally-spherical form with a bra-mb ed surface, and hardening the structure by cooling.

7. A process of making a playing ball consisting in forcing into a hollow body an elastic substance rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure the desired form externally.

8. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in forcing into a l.()llt)\\' body while hot a substance rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure the desired external form.

9. A process of making a playing-bail consisting in forcing into a hollow elastic body while hot a substance rendered lluent by heat, and simultaneously unpartmg to the structure the desired external form.

1(). A process of making a playing-ball consisting in forcing into a hollow elastic body while hot a substance rtmdered fluent by heat, and simultaneously imparting the desired external form. to the structure and cooling the structure.

11. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in forcing fluid gutta-percha into a hollow elastic body, and simultanetatsly imparting to the body the desired form externally.

12. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in forcing fluid gutta-percha into a hollow body while hot, and simultaneously imparting to the :body the desired external form.

13. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in forcing fluid gutta-percha into spherical elastic body while hot, and simultcneously imparting the desired shape to the structure externally. 1 1

14. A process of'making a playing-ball consisting in applying an outer shell to a hollow sphere and forcing into the sphere a substance renderedfluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure the desired external form.

15. A processof making a playi1'1gball consisting in applying a locsely-fitting outer sh ll to a hollow sphere and forcing into the spnere a substance rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure the desired external form.

16. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying successive envelops to a hollow sphere and forcing into the sphere a substance rendered fluent byheat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure the desired external formj 17. A processof.-1naking a playing-ball consisting in applying an outer shell to an elastic hollow sphereand forcing into the sphere a substance rendered fluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultaneously imparting to the structure the desired external form- 18. A process of "making a playing-ball consisting in applying an outer shell to a hollow sphere and forcing into the sphere under pressure, a substance rendered l uent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and simultanetmsly imparting to the structure the desired external form.

19. A process ofinaking a playing-ball consisting in applying an outer shell to a hollow sphere and forcing into the sphere under pressure an elastic substance rendered fluent by heat andfadapted to harden on I no l l t l cooling, and simultaneously imparting t0 the l structure the desired external form. l

20. process of making a pl.-i \'ingball l consisting in simultanmusly driving the air g from the interior of a hollow body and forcing into he body a substance rendered lluent by heat and adapted to harden on cooling, and imparting to the structure the desired form externally.

.21. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in compounding a sphere of fibrous material and celluloid and placing thestrue Z ture under distention by injecting thereinto a mass rendered lluent or mobile by heat. and l adapted to harden on cooling. 2

22. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in compounding a sphere of librous material and celluloid, and placing the structure under distention by injecting thereinto an elastic substance rendered lluent or mobile by heat, and adapted to harden on cooling.

223. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in compounding a sphere of fibrous 1 material and celluloid and placing the structure under distention by injecting thereinto a 2 5 mass of gutta-perchaand allowing the mass to harden.

24. A process of making a playing-ball consisting in applying to an elastic hollow sphere a shell compminded oilibioitsdnate- 3 rial and celluloid, and placing the structure and forcing into the sphere an elastic sub- 40 stance rendered lluent by heat, and Sllllllltaneously imparting to the structure the desired external form.

FRANCIS H} RICHARDS YVit] messes:

B. U. STICKXEY, W v E. EVERETT ELLIS 

